Kate Basra and Jenelle Kozlowski met in Scribbles pre-school in the former Klitsa School building. The Alberni District Secondary School Grade 12 students have spent almost every year together since then.
This week, they will round out their public school years on stage together, co-MCing graduation ceremonies at ADSS Theatre.
"We went all through elementary together. We were in every class except Grade 6," said Basra.
"During COVID we hung out every day. Kate would come over to my house, leave for dinner, come back," said Kozlowski.
"You were like the quarantine bubble," Basra added.
The close friends fall into a comfortable routine when answering questions. They are inseparable, but separate. Basra, for instance, enjoys math. "I've never been a fan of social studies, English. I took two math classes this year and I didn't need to take any."
Not Kozlowski. "English and social studies" are her thing. "Law was my favourite class I took, by far," she adds.
Both Grade 12 grads entered high school wanting to get involved in whatever they could. They both took leadership courses and ran for Totem. They threw themselves into theme days. Basra was on the year-book committee for three years, while Kozlowski was on the dance team. Both played soccer on the ADSS girls' team for three years, after Basra pushed to start a girls' team at the high school when she was tired of playing on the boys' squad.
As the school year ended, the two grads were busy with last-minute planning, nail appointments and so many graduation activities, including prom. "I think it's going to consist of grad barbecues, tears and dresses for the next two weeks," Kozlowski said.
One thing they had not done as prom approached was write their speech. There was time for that once the party was over.
"I want to represent our grad class really well," said Kozlowski. "There's so many different characters in our grad class that deserve to be seen."
Basra is confident they will do a good job representing a cross-section of their class: the pair have had "very different" friend groups in high school. They gave a shout-out to another friend who spent most of the same years together. Brielle Banton moved to another school for Grade 12 to play hockey, but she is not forgotten.
While they have spent the past 12-plus years together, Basra and Kozlowski are embarking on separate post-secondary journeys—albeit both in Victoria for now.
Basra is going to Camosun College to take the two-year hospitality program, then plans to travel. "I hope to do whatever I can with that degree in Europe or Asia or wherever."
Kozlowski will attend the University of Victoria for an undergrad in political science before entering law school to become a criminal lawyer. "I wanted to be a cop but I can't because I am colour blind," she said.
"My end goal is to be Crown Counsel."
Despite their post-secondary plans diverging, the pair wanted to do one final thing together, so they applied as a team to co-MC. They will take turns speaking during the three graduation ceremonies taking place Thursday, June 26 and Friday, June 27. Doing it this way was an easy choice, they agreed.
"We wanted to end our school the same way we started," said Basra. "We wanted to do it together."
